From
Living Theology in the Metropolitan Chicago Synod
Evangelical Lutheran Church In America
Volume 2, Number 3
Pentecost 1997
Reflecting Faith in Worship: The Use of the Means Of Grace
This [proposed Statement on the
Practice of Word and Sacrament] seeks to root common sacramental practice in
the Lutheran Confessions within the context of our contemporary situation. It also seeks to encourage study and
discussion of the sacraments in the congregations of this church and increased
teaching about the sacraments by bishops and pastors of this church. (The Use of the Means of Grace, Preamble,
page 4)
The very ancient principle that the
rule of worship is the rule of doctrine and vice versa (i.e., lex credendi,
lex orandi) is not a rule like “no walking on the grass” or “no spitting on
the sidewalk.” It is more like a “laws
of gravity” kind of rule. The way we
practice our faith in worship is going to teach people volumes about what we
believe. And the doctrines we hold most
dear will be reflected in the way we worship.
Unfortunately, because of our “age-old rebellion” the things we hold
most dear are not always those things held most dear to God. And sometimes the things we do in worship
reflect our likes and dislikes more than our faith.
Lutherans are confessional and
doctrinal. “It is also taught among
us...” are the words that begin many of the paragraphs of our Augsburg
Confession. While many practices are adiaphora,
neither forbidden nor required by the Gospel, other practices are required by
the Gospel. There are also those
practices which are not required or forbidden but which are so close to the
heart of the Gospel. And to do away
with them or alter them significantly could adversely affect the Gospel. The question always before us is “Which is
which?”
The Conference of Bishops rightly requested of the 1989 Churchwide Assembly that “a statement on sacramental practices be prepared as a guide to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.” By our membership in the ELCA we recognize that we are all in this together. We are not just a collection of individuals who happen to agree on some things. We are brothers and sisters in Christ who are trying to be faithful to the teachings of our Lord given through the apostolic witness. What are the things that we must do in worship to be faithful to the apostolic witness? What things are simply cultural usages that may be practices or not? How can the ways of our current culture(s) be included in the ancient formula of worship handed down to us by faithful Christians from generations past? How do our worship practices reflect the witness of our sisters and brothers in other communities of faith?
In order to best use this issue of Let’s
Talk you will need a copy of The Use of the Means of Grace. Copies were sent to all ordained ministers. If you need a copy you can call Augsburg
Fortress at 1-800-328-4648. The
document number is V6-0000-6564-7. The
cost is $1.00 plus service charge.
Please note that the articles of this
issue were written before the Churchwide Assembly in Philadelphia, but the
issue was put together and published after the Assembly.